3 Lessons I learned from Veganuary
I have found myself in a social circle of vegans, vegetarians, or those who simply replace their milk preferences with a plant-based option. With 2021 looking like 2020 in faux-sheep clothing, Veganuary seemed like a worthwhile challenge to keep me preoccupied during the ongoing doom and I’d like to share a few things that I’ve learned from the experience.
First, let me distinguish that the official campaign began with the UK non-profit organisation named Veganuary and it has had a massive knock-on effect on social media. So much so that I have to admit, I wasn’t aware of the official campaign until halfway through my journey.
The Official Veganuary encourages people worldwide to sign up through their website and “try vegan for January and beyond.” Since its conception in 2014, over 1,000,000 people have participated in Veganuary’s campaign and this year alone saw a record-breaking 500,000 people sign up for the 31-day vegan challenge. The charity’s further work includes working vigorously with supermarkets and corporations to encourage the production and promotion of plant-based alternatives.
Signing up through the official channels, you will receive daily emails with a plethora of resources and reassurance including the gentle reminder: “No matter your previous diet, or your intentions once your vegan pledge is over, you won’t be judged.”
I, however, am going to share my judgments with you, here’s what I’ve learned from partaking in #Veganuary.
- Diet-Culture in Disguise?
It’s January. Two distinct sides are vying for our attention. On one hand, you have the traditional fad diets, looking to cash in on our insecurities with calls of “Shift that Christmas weight…Try X diet…” and on the other, you have the mothering, anti-diet movements like intuitive eating trying to raise our self-esteem and heal our relationship with food.
Veganuary neatly nooks itself in the middle.
Veganism is often marketed alongside healthy living and boasts claims of providing clearer skin, more energy, and good gut health. However, Veganuary does tend to tick the boxes of typical a fad diet: food restrictions, a designated timeframe, and a flashy social media presence.
To those who struggle or have struggled with disordered eating, Veganuary may not be the wisest choice.
“Veganism can definitely mask a very restrictive diet, and it makes it so much easier to hide eating disorder symptoms, especially as veganism is seen as such a green, plant-based lifestyle,” says 21-year-old music student Katie Alice Macdonald.
Macdonald has been vegan for three of the eight years she’s had anorexia and says veganism often gave her an excuse to restrict ‘stereotypically fatty foods’ like dairy and chocolate without anyone seeing it as a bad thing.
I am in a pretty good place foodwise. It took a lot of confidence-building and actively unlearning harmful habits, and even so, I’m still prone to a wobble or two.
Case and point, me fretting about eating a full pack of Oreos one night because I couldn’t hit my chocolate fix with my vegan substitute. I can’t pinpoint the exact cause of the craving. Maybe I really missed chocolate? Maybe I was stressed? (we are in a pandemic after all). Or shock horror, maybe I was just hungry? Whatever the reasoning, I had to step back and remind myself, it’s not a big deal.
I started to worry that maybe my brush with veganism and its restrictions around food may uproot some old, problematic behaviours but thankfully, I have made enough progress to realize that my motives were sound.
Be aware of your underlying motives when adopting a vegan diet, because it does carry a set of very strict rules, and setting up any rules around what you eat is essentially a diet.
This is not to say that I don’t consider Veganism healthy. A vegan lifestyle can be incredibly healthy when the focus is on more than just a diet. Other worthwhile motives could include environmental conservation or the protection of animal rights.
I am only preaching caution. Understand your motives, and don’t feel guilty if you slip up, veganism will still be there long after Veganuary is over.
Lesson: Be forgiving of yourself, especially when it comes to food. Sometimes you have to take a moment and evaluate what your body needs, sometimes it’s a pack of Oreos, sometimes it’s a hug.
2. Vegan substitutes will never be the real thing, and that’s okay.
It feels like I’ve tried and tested every Vegan substitute on the market this month, choking on the overpowering seasoning of Linda McCartney’s Red Onion and Rosemary Sausages, rejoicing at Aldi’s Vegan Peri Peri Mayo and being in awe of the taste accuracy of Denny’s meat-free range. However, I’d be lying if I said I was content in comparing a plant-based burger with that of its greasy, beef counterpart.
I think therein lies the problem with society’s perception of the vegan diet; we are constantly pitting plant-based and non-dairy food against their non-vegan equivalent, and it just doesn’t do these products any justice.
I am delighted with the influx of choice surrounding meat substitutes because lets be honest, for people like me who hate salads and aren’t exactly a whizz in the kitchen, they are a lifesaver for time and effort.
However, plant-based options tend to lack the texture of real meat. Logically, it makes sense that a lifestyle that condemns the killing and eating of animals would not necessarily want their food to resemble the texture of meat, but for a person who has largely relied on (and enjoyed meat) in their diet, going cold Tofurky can be frustrating and disappointing.
My advice to meat-eaters, go in blind or paradoxically, read the rest of the label. The packaging may say ‘sausages’ but it also says ‘Masala Roast Cauliflower’. As someone who associates cauliflower with the taste of rubbery water, I was pleasantly surprised that the ‘sausages’ in question were the key ingredient to some of my favourite lunchtime meals.
Lesson: Take the food for what it is. If it’s a concoction of tasty veggies and beans in a sausage shape, merit your evaluation on the actual ingredients, not because you associate the word ‘sausage’ with its pork counterpart.
3. Community Spirit
I began posting my meals on Instagram stories to give myself a sense of accountability. I thoroughly enjoyed curating the perfect picture and commentary, and it did help me stay motivated and even try new things in the kitchen (there are only so many snaps of beans on toast you can share before you start to bore people).
Much to my surprise, I received an abundance of positive feedback and advice from my little Instagram community, everyone was eager to help and discuss their plant-based preferences via DMs. It felt great to have this overwhelming sense of connection.
I’d always been led to believe that there is a staunch gatekeeping around veganism but in my case, it was far from the truth. Anyone I came into contact with was only happy to support and provide advice; there was no judgment, no one forcing stats down my throat, no guilt-tripping, just a wholesome community spirit.
Lesson: Every movement is prone to extremists. Don’t let a few bad apples spoil the bunch.
The million-dollar question, have I been converted to Veganism?
Unfortunately, no.
Due to personal finances, living arrangements, and dietary requirements, I don’t think now is the right time for me to fully commit to a vegan lifestyle. I am however entirely grateful for the lessons I’ve learned and I intend to make little changes that will last long-term.
Yes, that means you may catch me ordering a soy latte whilst pretending to write in the local café once lockdown restrictions are over.
